Woman woke to find burglar in bedroom

A burglar who asked his victim for 20 minutes to get away after a terrifying house raid has been jailed. Scott Barham, 31, of Becket Avenue, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison. Canterbury Crown Court heard how a woman in her 20s woke up and realised an unknown man was standing in her bedroom in Cherry Garden Road, Canterbury. Barham held up a set of keys and asked where the car was parked. He then told her: “Don’t call the police or I will stab you.” He then took cash and two mobile phones before asking the victim to give him 20 minutes to get away. Just six minutes later, Barham was stopped near Cherry Drive by officers and a police dog after members of the public had seen him clambering over fences. When he was searched officers found the two mobile phones and cash taken from the house. Investigating officer DC Lucy Fisk said: “Barham showed a complete disregard for how his actions might affect others. “Unfortunately for him, our officers caught up with him as he tried to get away and now he is facing a considerable time in prison.”